Burning Fury
by Stateria
Summary: she was carried into Lothering in the arms of a man. That was how Leliana her. A small woman whose story is a mystery to everyone around her. Riven is a girl who doesn't give her trust out freely and yet she needs to trust Leliana, the only person who stays still long enough to offer Riven the much needed help she needs as she heals. This is how their story began. (Lel/FemWarden)
1. Chapter 1

A Different twist on Dragon age. Basically I am going to work my way up to the latest game all the way from Origins. I have high hopes for this series and hope you enjoy.

I have not played the new Dragon age yet but I will eventually, so as I am building up to the latest game I won't know what to expect until I play it.

In other words this fanfiction will take a new turn, it will not be like the games, similar for some things, but mostly original. Some OC Characters as well and maybe even some new locations that the heroes wil discover.

So I am just getting that out of the way because the last few fanfictions that I wrote a while back I had people coming at me saying how I was dead wrong in my stories because they were not true to the game. Where I am proud people play the game and am happy that people love playing video games as much as me… I try to give a new story for a game that I am going to/have played. It's very fun for me. This will also have an entirely NEW background story! Something you would NEVER expect. Well… Unless your imagination is as wild as mine.

So as I am writing NOTHING is planned. XD It's all winged right as I am writing it, also I am lazy. That means when I post sometimes I haven't read over it yet, that usually comes a little later when I have the time to do so, with that said if you happen to come across any spelling errors or typos PLEASE TELL MEEEEEEE! I am a very busy bee and sometimes even after I have edited my eyes haven't caught the mistakes.

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The Sky was Grey as the clouds stretched as far as the eye could see. People were scattered across the village of Lothering, collecting supplies, bartering with cranky shop keepers only to be scammed despite their efforts, and simply doing what they had to do to survive. Things were not as they should be. People were doing things that they shouldn't have to do to survive. Some people even went as far as stealing and Maker forbid, killing another person just so they could feed their families.

As Refugees poured into the little village with the high hopes of walking into a sanctuary where they could lay their heads down and rest, the first thing that welcomed them was a band of bandits who would rob them of everything but the clothes off their backs. The bandits made sure to remind them that nowhere was safe. Every promise that had been given to anyone looking for safety was broken the moment the Bandits laid eyes on their next pray.

The heart of a young, beautiful redhead broke as she watched as yet another family stumbled through the village, bodies ridged and shaken, eyes full of unshed tears from the shock of losing what little they had left to a band of horrible, dirty, dark souled bandits. The only thing that they had to be thankful for now was that they were alive. But as the redhead watched the family she could read each of their faces like an open book. Thankfulness for being alive was something that was nowhere to be seen, but instead the question as to how long they would survive now that they were in a village that was obviously not the sanctuary that they had hoped and prayed for.

The young woman had seen enough. Rolling up her sleeves as she strolled down the Chantry steps and into the heart of the village she made her way over to the little family of three. A father a mother and a child no older than six turned. Her heart broke even more. Such a young family, lost everything they had built together. She could see the hope dying that very moment and Leliana hoped that she could salvage it before it was completely gone.

"Hello and Welcome to Lothering, my name is Leliana." She spoke with a kind smile and it was that moment she couldn't help but to wonder how long it had been since this family had seen a real legit smile of another person and not a fake one of a slippery Bandit? It was plain to see that their lack of trust was fresh. The moment Leliana had approached the mother grabbed her child and stepped in front of him with eyes full of fury and body tense as if she was ready to attack at any sudden movement.

"Hello." The father was the next to speak, only after he gave Leliana a really good look over. The Redhead knew he was looking for weapons. He placed his hands on his wife's shoulders in a protective manner. "I'm sorry, you will have to forgive us… We haven't had a very good time." He raised his hand and rubbed the back of his neck, a sign of intense stress.

Leliana tilted her head to the side as she read each of their body languages. They were ready for anything. Even though they obviously lacked weapons they seemed to have the will to fight… All except for the little one that was hiding behind his mother's legs. The poor thing was shaking so badly he looked like he was about to pass out.

"Please do not be afraid… If I had to guess you were met by the horrible party that has position themselves at the front of Lothering… They have been taking advantage of everyone who comes here seeking refuge… Please, don't lose hope." Leliana turned and pointed to the Chantry. "Go to the Chantry and get something to eat and rest. Someone will be there to help you, I promise things will get better." She said with furrowed brows. She tried to swallow the fact that her promise might be empty. Nowhere was safe at the moment. Not when the Blight was plaguing the land as it was.

She caught the eyes of the little boy who looked up at Leliana for only a second before his face was buried back into his mother's legs. She silently prayed for a miracle…

If Leliana could find refuge in the chantry that gave her new hope than maybe this family could too?

After watching the family stumble over to the Chantry she couldn't help but to sigh and look over her shoulder towards the entrance of Lothering once more… She thought she could see more Refugees but she was instantly mistaken. They were not refugees at all. Her eyes caught the sight of a band of Soldiers rushing in.

The Bandits parted and scattered allowing the Soldiers to pass. Obviously the Bandits were too cowardly to take on fully armored men, Leliana almost wanted to go over there and take on the Bandits herself… But she was no fool. One woman who had not touched a blade in over a year wouldn't stand a chance, even with all the combat she had seen in her past.

The redhead's mouth fell open and her brows furrowed when she realized that the soldiers were battle worn, some looked as though they were about to drop, others were basically dragging themselves through the village. There was a seconds where she had hoped they had been sent to guard the village, but when she realized that they were caked in blood and filth she realized that something was very wrong.

"To the Chantry! Quick! That is where you will find help! Follow me." Leliana barked after she spotted a smaller, female soldier in the arms of another. They had three arrows sticking out of their chest. How was she even alive!? The pained expression on the girl's face was enough to tell Leliana that time was running out for that girl.

"Thank you!" The man holding the girl yelped as he began to follow a very fast moving Leliana. "There were just so many! We didn't know where else to go. No one else would take us!" The man was in obvious shock as they all stumbled in through the Chantry Doors.

She ordered the man to follow her into a room where he placed the girl on a bed.

Leliana took one look at her and realized that she was till conscious.

"Alistiar?" The girl wheezed.

"Right here!" He barked with wide eyes. "Don't try to move!" He was about to place his hands on her to keep her down but he quickly pulled his hands away and clasped them in front of his chest. He didn't where he could even touch her without causing her agony. It was obvious that he was a very nervous and clumsy man.

"Try to keep her calm." Leliana ordered gently as she dipped a cloth in a bowl of water. "The calmer she is the better things will be. More help is on the way." Leliana's voice was soothing but it didn't do either of the two any good. Alistair still looked as though he was about to pass out where he was standing and the girl looked as though she was balancing on a fence where one side she would go into a complete frantic fit of fear and pain and the other side where she looked like she was going to fall unconscious and maybe not wake up. Leliana's goal was to keep her awake and calm until more Chantry sisters were there. The more hands the better. There was no way she was going to remove any of the arrows by herself.

"Calm! Right! Good idea! Hey! Riven! You're going to be ok! Those arrows are going to come out and you are not going to bleed to death!" He was speaking with a grin but it was obvious that he, himself was in a full blown panic attack.

"Alistair…" The girl moaned as Leliana placed the damp cloth over her forehead. Leliana couldn't help but smirk for a split second. There was annoyance in the girl's voice. That alone was enough to tell Leliana that she was holding on.

"Alistair." Leliana spoke up for the girl as she turned her head to the very pale man. He may have been covered from head to toe with mud, blood and who knows what else but it was very easy to see that the color was draining from his face. "Alistair, you need to calm down or you're doing to…" Leliana didn't get the chance to finish her sentence before Alistair suddenly sent quiet and fell over like a log onto the floor directly on his face with a loud thud.

"Faint…" Leliana sighed, shaking her head.

"Timber?" A voice from the doorway chirped. It was another soldier holding a bundle of bandages.

There were other soldiers there but they quickly rushed into the room and grabbed Alistair and dragged him out so that other people could get in there to work without tripping over his unconscious form.

Leliana turned her head from Alistair to the man at the door with a brow raised, her hand was still over Riven's forehead as she looked up at him.

"Uh…" As soon as Leliana's eyes were on him his face lit up with a blush. "I have come to assist Riven, Ma'am!" He yelped as he stood up straight. He was tall, dark haired, pale skin, dark eyes, and dirty teeth. Leliana could read so much about him from his voice alone. She didn't like him, he was not someone she would trust with her back turned.

"That… Won't be necessary…" Leliana muttered with a brow furrowed. She didn't like the way he was looking at her. "We can handle it, thank you though." She said as other Chantry members poured into the room.

"Actually." The Mother of the Chantry spoke up as she rolled her sleeves up, eyes on Riven as she shook her head. "We are going to need his help with holding her down, I am not going to lie, Sister Leliana, this is not going to be pretty. If this Child has any hope of surviving we need to get those arrows out fast and treat her as soon as possible. Those arrows are full of poison." She explained.

Leliana's heart clenched at the news. She barely knew this girl and she already felt protective.

"How do you know..?" She whispered as she gazed at the three arrows. They wouldn't know about the poison until they were removed…

"Darkspawn fight dirty." The Soldier at the door spoke with a shrug as he pulled out a blade to show her. "Every weapon they use is either poisoned with their own blood or something else that could hurt a Warden. That there is a Warden and they wanted her dead." He said with a nod. "Strong stuff. I bet she will be dead in a matter of minutes unless we get those out of her."

"Darkspawn? They're here!?" A Chantry member dropped what was in her hands and rushed out the door. "I have to get out of here!" The Soldier was shoved out of the way during the rush causing the blade to tumble out of his hand and clatter onto the ground.

"Perhaps you should not mention that to anyone else." The Chantry mother scolded the man as she took her position beside Riven. Two more Chantry members took their positions as another ushered Leliana out of the room.

The man walked over and looked down at Riven. "Uh… What do you want me to do?" He looked nervous as he glanced at Leliana who was at just outside the door as if she was going to give him the answers he was seeking.

"Put your hands on her shoulders and hold her down." The Mother ordered as she placed her hand against Riven's chest and her other around an arrow shaft.

The last thing Leliana saw before the door was shut was one last glance of the man who was standing over the girl on the bed. Her stomach turned and her head was spinning. So much had happened in the matter of minutes that it was all catching up with her.

She didn't even think before she rushed out of the chantry and out into a garden to put distance between herself and the girl. What she didn't want to hear was her screams of pain, she didn't know if she could handle that. There was a part of her that was angry that she didn't order that man out of the room. She should have taken his place. Leliana knew that she would have been strong enough to hold her down if the girl started to resist. So if it was true why didn't she?

Leliana sat down on a stone bench and stared at a Rose bush that had yet to bloom. It hadn't bloomed once that year and the other Chantry sisters told her that it was a dead bush and should be ripped out and replaced. But for some reason Leliana was saddened at the thought of the bush being removed, she couldn't explain why.

"Riven…" Leliana squinted her eyes and bit her lower lip. "A… Warden?" Leliana had heard stories about Grey Wardens. They had told about how Grey Wardens were massive warriors who were stronger than all others.

This girl was small, she looked so weak and frail. How did she become a warden?

Leliana sighed and closed her eyes. "Darkspawn…" She sighed as she buried her face in her hands. Her perfect little sanctuary there in Lothering had been slowly crumbling for weeks now… She felt like it was about to collapse very soon.

Lothering was no longer safe.

She lifted her head and stared at the rose bush when she realized that her time in that Chantry was done, her healing was done, it was time for her to start her life again.

Just as Leliana was about to stand her eyes caught sight of some color deep in the bush.

Taking a step closer and moving a few vines her heart skipped a beat when her eyes fell upon a fully bloomed rose.

Her lips curled into a smile and she nodded.

This was the sign she had been waiting for and it was loud and clear.


	2. Chapter 2

******ALISTAIR'S POV*******

The morning was chilly and frost littered the grass. It was amazing that some of the Templar guards around Lothering were able to stand guard all night when the temperature was known to dropped to it's lowest points. Every now and then a Chantry sister would leave the warmth of the Chantry to the outside world where they would bring the guards warm beverages and food. It was the least they could do knowing that those men were doing everything they could to keep the people of Lothering safe. The threat of Darkspawn had everyone on edge.

Alistair woke up a few hours later after he fainted and the first thing he tried to do was go and see Riven; the newest Grey Warden. But the moment he tried to get into that room he was shooed away by the Chantry mother and a beautiful Redhead. They explained that Riven was unconscious but would be ok. They had been successful in removing the arrows from her and had just treated her for the poison. It would be a while before Riven would be awake.

The poor thing had passed out in the middle of them removing the arrows. There had been no time to give her anything for the pain so thankfully her body did the only thing it could do at the time, and that was to pass out, giving the Chantry mother the chance to remove the arrows when her body was still. At first Riven tried to thrash and squirm away due to the pain.

Riven gave the soldier who was holding her down quite the job and proved to be stronger than she looked. The man had to push her down so hard that he left imprints of his hands in the form of bruises on the skin of her shoulders. There had been no other choice. Her movements would have been the reason there would have been more damage. The last thing they wanted to do was slash her lung open causing her to drown in her own blood. Thankfully everything went well after Riven unconscious.

And so Alistair waited for her to wake up by exploring the little village. No sleep would come to him. The events were fresh in his mind and at the same time he was still in a state of shock due to the loss of his dear friend, Duncan. That man had been like a father to him, the only family Alistair had known for almost all of his life was gone in a matter of hours.

The Grey Warden didn't know if he wanted to scream and shout and have a fit or sit down and cry. But instead of showing weakness in front of the refugees, Templars and other soldiers, he stood tall and marched around the Village with his hand on the handle of his blade. The blight was here and he found himself always alert and ready for Darkspawn.

He silently cursed himself and exhaled. Seeing his own breath because of the cold he shook his head. His senses were not up to speed because of his shock. He needed to come out of it and fast, anything that fogged his senses would throw off his ability to sense any nearby Darkspawn, and that was something he needed and at that moment.

He and Riven were the last of Grey wardens in all of Ferelden. So it was only her and him who had the ability to sense incoming Darkspawn.

"Maker…" Alistair rubbed the back of his neck.

Riven was so new to the Grey wardens that she basically knew nothing of them. She didn't even know of her ability to sense Darkspawn. She had barely been a Greywarden for a day. So at the moment in time Alistair was the only up to speed Grey warden… Which was not a good thing. His confidence in himself was dwindling by a single thread. He needed Riven to wake up soon. He needed to discuss with her a plan. As Grey Wardens it was their duty to protect the land from the blight. He needed to teach her and tell her everything she needed to know about being a Grey Warden before everything snuck up on her.

There was no telling how Riven would react to any of her new abilities if she was not expecting them.

Before Alistair even knew it the sun was rising in the distance and it was morning. He spent the entire night pacing from one end of the village to the other.

His ears would perk up every now and then at little murmurs from the Templar guards. Some of the things he made mental notes about were the fact that they were already talking about the battle where King Cullen had died, the same Battle Riven and Alistair barely escaped from. Somehow the news was already traveling.

Another thing that irked his interest was the fact that everyone was calling the Grey Wardens traitors…

Hearing that made the grip on his blade tighten to the point his knuckles were white.

Loghain had been the one to call the retreat, leaving everyone who was already on the battlefield to die a brutal death, he was the traitor! Not the Grey Wardens! But there was little Alistair could say. It seemed that their minds were made up. But above all it looked as though it wouldn't be safe for anyone else to know about himself and little Riven being Grey Wardens…

Alistair rubbed his chin and arched a brow. "This isn't good…" He muttered as he turned on his heel and made his way back to the Chantry. Maybe Riven would be awake now? Maybe he could go and see her without that Redhead or Chantry mother biting his head off. Somehow being around Riven made him feel less alone, he figured it was because she was like him, a Grey Warden. And maybe because in a way Riven needed him.

After a new recruit awakens from the ritual it is like being reborn. She was going to need a lot of help and guidance to get used to things. Being a Grey Warden was one of the farthest things from a Vacation. In a way Alistair was going to be her teacher.

The thought of being a teacher to Riven made him cringe and chuckle at the same time. This was going to be very interesting.

As Alistair made his way past a group of guards he stood up straight, mouth turned into a straight emotionless line, and he kept moving forward. He was going to have to do everything possible to not draw attention. He HAD to talk to Riven before someone else did. He HAD to be the one there when she woke up. Not a Chantry sister, Not the Chantry Mother, not one of the soldiers who followed them back to Lothering, and definitely not one of the Templar guards. He needed Riven to know that she needed to not tell ANYONE that she was a Grey Warden.

Just judging by way the Templars were talking they made it sound as though Loghain put a very large bounty on their heads. In this day and age a large bounty like that could feed lots of people which is why Alistair could no longer trust anyone but Riven.

Peeking his head into the Chantry, Alistair saw that mostly everyone was still asleep. There were a few people here and there, mainly refugees caring for their family members.

He bit his lower lip and rushed in and towards Riven's room. He didn't even wait before he slipped inside and closed the door behind him. The poor man was actually holding his breath as he looked around the room. He didn't even think about the small chance of someone else being in the room with Riven until he was already in it. Thankfully the only body his eyes found was the small body of Riven laying on a bed that made her look so small.

Alistair couldn't help but to smile in relief when he saw her. The arrows were gone and she looked better. Even her skin color was not as pale as it had been.

"Now would be the perfect time for you to wake up." He said as he walked across the room so that he was standing right beside the bed, looking down at the smaller Warden. "Are you even aware of what's going on?" He rubbed the back of his neck. Was there a chance where she might not remember anything? What if she didn't even remember who Alistair was? All sorts of different 'What ifs' began to flow through Alistair's mind as he chewed on his bottom lip. Alistair had the skill to think himself straight into a panic attack.

He was so focused on what was going through his head that he didn't even notice that Riven slowly cracked one eye open to look up at the very troubled looking man who was standing over her.

Her little groan was what made Alistair nearly jump out of his boots.

"Maker!" He breathed with wide eyes as he watched the girl.

She rubbed her eyes with one of her hands, her other was completely bandaged. Alistair remembered her picking up a broken sword that lost it's handle and using it in a desperate attempt to survive.

"A-Alistair?" She wheezed.

"Yes! Yes! I'm here! Wait!" He paused and looked around and found a glass of water that was on the bedside table. It seemed that someone thought ahead. "Here, drink!" He ordered as gently as he could He helped Riven sit up a bit before he brought the glass of water to her lips.

Within seconds the glass was empty and Riven was trying to sit up on her on.

"Ok! Woah there!" Alistair placed his hands on Riven's shoulders and began to push her back down. It didn't take much for her to give up. After a little wince at the contact she slowly laid back down with her brows furrowed in a pained expression.

Alistair could see that beneath a button up shirt her chest was completely bandaged, in fact the bandages looked like they needed to be changed soon, she must have bled a lot. But that was not the only thing that he took notice of. Her shoulders were completely bruised. Someone must have had to hold her down as they removed the arrows… Looking at those bruises made his stomach turn.

"Uh…" Alistair rubbed the back of his neck for what felt like the millionth time before he grabbed a chair and pulled it up to the bed. "How do you feel?" He asked her as he clasped his hands together. "Not too much pain I hope?" He looked like he wanted to say much more but Alistair didn't want to overwhelm her. It took every ounce of self-control to keep him from spewing out sentences left and right in a desperate attempt to explain everything all at once.

Riven looked down at herself and blinked. "The arrows are gone." She stated. "Hurts a lot, but I'm alive." Her voice was very raspy and quiet as she spoke. It almost looked as though she was in pain every time she took a breath.

Silence began to fill the room before Alistair spoke up again. "How much do you remember?" He asked her with a worried tone. In his head he began to pray that she remembered, but part of him hoped she didn't so she could possibly be spared the terror of what she had seen in the battle.

Becoming a warden and then going through a slaughter all in the duration of a single day was something that would overwhelm even the strongest of people.

Riven turned her head to Alistair and squinted her eyes. It took her a moment to process but then her eyes went wide and she shot straight up and looked around like a frantic animal that had it's leg caught in a bear trap.

Alistair was on his feet and ready to stop her from standing up. "Slow down! Ok! Calm down! Breath!" He spoke as gently as he could as he tried to push her back down on the bed. This time he put his hands on her upper arms to avoid the bruises.

"But!" She yelped as she tried to resist. "Where's Duncan?" She asked. "Did anyone else make it out?"

Alistair was bombarded by question after question. It was understandable and at the same time heartbreaking. It was like watching a child trying to understand death for the first time.

In Riven's current state she was having a problem processing everything.

"Riven." Alistair finally gave up on trying pushing Riven back down onto the bed. Somehow he figured that he would hurt her more by pushing her back down than by Riven simply sitting. The worst that could happen was Riven would get dizzy and fall onto the soft bed. Unless she fell off the bed of course… Which Alistair prayed wouldn't happen. With Riven's luck she would end up breaking her neck.

Riven clamped her mouth shut and stared up at Alistair with wide eyes.

The larger Grey Warden held his breath for a moment and looked away from her. "We are the only two Wardens left… A few other Soldiers survived the battle and came with us but I don't know if we can trust them or not."

After a few deep breath's Riven began to bite her thumbnail as she tried to think. "Trust them?" She asked with brows furrowed.

Alistair nodded. "Loghain has spread a lie that the Grey Wardens betrayed the king and has everyone believing that it was because of us that the battle was lost and the King is dead. So Right now we are everyone's number one enemy. And it is hard to tell which they hate more, Darkspawn or Grey Wardens." Alistair's sarcastic tone was back as he shook his head.

"So… Everyone thinks we are the reason we lost the battle…? What do we do?" The color suddenly drained from Riven's face once more and not only that, she looked like she was ready to go hunt Loghain down herself. Her hands gripped the bed sheets so tightly that Alistair was worried that she would reopen the bandaged wounds on her one injured hand.

Alistair opened his mouth to say something that he hoped would calm the girl but before he could even get one word out he whipped around at the sound of the door opening.

"Oh!" A Redhead was at the door with a tray of food in her hands. Her eyes went wide when she saw Alistair sitting beside the bed. "Hello!" She said as she looked back and forth between Riven and Alistair. "I was just…" She motioned down to the tray that she was holding. "I thought our wounded soldier would be hungry."

After shifting her weight from one foot to the other Alistair watched as the redhead made her way across the room to put the tray on the bedside table.

He turned his head and looked at Riven who looked back at him with wide eyes.

"My name is Leliana."

Both Wardens jumped at the sudden introduction.

"Uh, I'm Alistair and this is Riven." Alistair motioned from himself to Riven who gave a small wave.

"Yes, I remember both of you, if you do not remember correctly I was the one who you fainted in front of." Leliana crossed her arms over her chest and gave a bit of a smirk when she saw Alistair's face ignite in a furious blush of embarrassment.

"I did not faint!" Alistair declared with a shake of his head. "I was just…"

"You fainted." Riven stated in a monotone sounding voice. "I remember that, and I also remember the sound of you smacking your face into the floorboards." She tilted her head to the side before she began to look around. "In fact… Is there a dent somewhere?"

"Oh haha!" Alistair pouted. "Very funny."

Alistair began to stand as Leliana made her way over to Riven. He saw her use her index finger to move the fabric of Riven's shirt a bit so she could see the bandages.

"Those need to be changed soon." Leliana stated with brows furrowed. The bandages were not the only thing that she was eyeing. Those bruises on Riven's shoulders somehow made the redhead's kind smile fade to an expression of annoyance. The man who had held Riven down had been careless and clumsy.

Riven was as stiff as a board. One thing was certain, she didn't like to be touched. Not by anyone. Not even to simply check her bandages. Riven looked up at Alistair as if pleading for help or to secretly say 'Get her away from me!' But Alistair knew that Riven would need the care. With injuries like the ones she had she needed to be properly cared for, even if she didn't like it.

"I'm gonna…" Alistair pointed over his shoulder and took a step back. He didn't want to be in the room when Riven was probably going to be exposed. But he didn't get the chance to leave before a scream made not only him but Leliana as well as Riven jump.

"POSITIONS MEN!" The voice of a guard rang out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Ok so first of all I want to apologize to the people who are currently reading this fanfiction, it has been quite a while since I have last updated. Truth be told I had an update for you about two days ago that I have been adding to every now and then when I had the time to do so, but I seem to have lost EVERYTHING that I had saved on my laptop. A very unfortunate event occurred that sort of involved my beloved (****ing STUPID computer! NEVER BUY A SONY VAIO! THEY ARE THE WORST!) computer konked out on me for the second time within 2 months from when it was sent away to be repaired. That's right, this is the second time that this has happened to that computer. The HDDs keep on failing and the reason for this is completely unknown. Despite professionals looking at it there is no reason for this to have happened. Thankfully the warrany is still there so it's being sent away to be fixed... Again...**

**The first time I thought it was me because I carried that laptop with me everywhere because I am a college student. It turns out transferring laptops from one place to another even though they are completely turned off may damage the HDDs... So when I got it back after it being repaired the first time I literally placed it on my desk and that was where it stayed. I never took it to class with me again. I did my notes on a tablet I have and I bring that home and it is from home I do my actual homework now.**

**However... Despite me not even so much as moving that laptop a single inch that HDD didn't even last a full two months. And so that Laptop is being sent away for the second time.**

**So it is safe to say when I get this laptop back I am getting rid of it and am going to buy a new laptop that I can trust. I still have my old HP laptop that I have tinkered with for... I think going onto five years now, so it will be this laptop I will be writing with from now on.**

**The only thing is I now don't have a microsoft word program on any computer that I own sooo I am now writing the fanfictions straight onto the site.**

**With all that said I really hope you enjoy this long awaited chapter.**

**I do ask for those who are reading to Review as well. It gives me the extra boost I need to get chapters up faster. Could be about anything, what you liked about the chapter, what you hated, what I can improve on, etc, it is completely up to you. I am always looking for input on my writing.**

**So as many Fanfict writers say... R&R please.**

** Chapter... Three...333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333**

"What's going on!?" Riven yelped from where she was on her bed.

Alistair didn't even get the chance to say anything before Leliana shoved him aside and ran out the door towards the yelling. From what it sounded like Riven could swear that there was a battle going on outside.

Alistair regained his footing and stumbled over to the window. Exhaustion was still heavy on his own shoulders, the effects from the battle from the night before was still very plain to see all over his body. Riven may look visually beaten and broken but Alistair's spirit was suffering as bad as her body.

"Looks like Bandits." Alistair grumbled. "The other men spoke of spotting them when we were approaching the village." The larger of the two ran his hand through his hair with brows raised. "They said that they ran off. Looks like it was too much to hope for by thinking they wouldn't return. Looks like they mean business." Alistair's voice sounded very uneasy as he gazed out the window. He even lowered himself so that there was a chance no one would see him from the outside.

Riven sat up with brows furrowed. "We have to help." Her voice was desperate as she pushed the blankets that had been covering her battered body aside. She kept quiet about the fact that everything felt so heavy to her arms, she just kept pushing herself. Very slowly she began to make her way to the edge of the bed, but she was stopped before she got too far.

"No, look at yourself, you are in absolutely no condition to fight, hell, you are in no condition to so much as walk across this room! I bet that you would fall flat on your face the moment your feet touch the ground." Alistair snapped after he lunged from his spot at the window to Riven's side. He had to keep her in bed, that was the safest place for her. He couldn't risk her, besides himself, Riven was the last of the Wardens that were in Ferelden.

When he saw the look of determination still fresh on her face he sighed. "Look, Riven... Even I am not in any condition to fight and I am not the one who is hurt. We are both completely drained, we need to rest and rejuvenate ourselves before we attempt on taking on any enemies." His words seemed to make Riven relax slightly. But he saw the way that her brows furrowed and how she stared at the same spot on the blanket that her fingers were now gripping so tightly that her knuckles were white. It bothered the large man when Riven didn't even so much as say one word. "Riven, I think that they have this one handled anyways." He said with a sigh as he made his way back over to the window to see that there was a group of templar guards standing in front of the bandits, preventing them from coming any further into the village.

With them was Leliana who seemed to be trying to talk to the Bandits. From the window Alistair could see the group eyeing the redhead like a piece of meat. If those guards hadn't been there he couldn't even imagine what they would have done to her.

"Your caretaker is out there, she is at the front of the templar guards talking to the bandits." Alistair said over his shoulder to Riven.

From where Riven was on the bed it was obvious that she couldn't see what was going on. But the moment she heard about what the redhead was doing her brows furrowed and she looked up. "Does that woman have a death wish? Those Bandits would eat her alive just for fun." She yelped, turning her head towards Alistair. "What are they doing? Are they attacking? Are their weapons drawn? Are they killing babies?" Riven rambled slightly.

"No. Their hands are not even on their weapons, they are laughing at her and eyeing her like she is a painting or something." Alistair coughed slightly as he looked at the Bandits. The Bandit in front was obviously the leader. He had his arms crossed over his chest and he wore a sickening smile on his face. Alistair couldn't hear what they were saying but somehow he didn't have to guess that Leliana was bargaining with them. And it didn't take long for this guess to be confirmed.

"What's happening now?" Riven tilted her head to the side. Oh how she hated being bedridden.

"It looks like our fearless redhead just bought her village some time." Alistair's voice was angry. He watched as villagers carried crates of supplies over to the bandits to took them and carried them right out of the Village. "They gave the bandits supplies, food, medicine, weapons... Basically anything this Village has left." Alistair finally had to tear his eyes away from the scene. It was too painful to watch. For a village that was basically hanging on by a single thread to give bandits what little they had left... Alistair had no words. He couldn't comprehend what was going on. After a battle like the one they had just been in and then knowing that they were in a village that was being taken advantage of by a group of bandits he felt completely helpless. They were Grey Wardens! They were supposed to be helping these people! But how could he even be seen as a Grey Warden if he couldn't even so much as lift a single sword without shaking at the moment.

"They must not think we are here." Riven's voice was low as she spoke up.

Alistair looked at her with brows raised. "You think so?" He asked.

"I know so." She replied with a very determination fresh in her voice. "Would bandits be stupid enough to waltz right into a village they know is jam packed full of battle ridden, pissed off soldiers?" She asked. "If they thought we were here they wouldn't have come back, they would be thinking that we would have ripped them limb from limb just to blow off steam. They don't know we are here, they don't know that we are resting. And when we are rested..." Riven punched her hand with her bandaged one. "They will get what's coming to them." Riven looked up at Alistair with a little smirk. "It would only take a few of us to kill all them. Bandits are stupid and are horrible fighters. They are like hyenas... They attack only in large numbers or when their prey is wounded. And in this case... This village is very wounded and would do anything to stay alive right now... And that might just involve hiring the protection of Bandits who will milk them dry until they have nothing left. And once this Village has nothing left to offer them..." Riven didn't have to finish her sentence.

"They will finish them off." Alistair breathed. His face went pale as he rubbed his hand over his stubbly chin.

Riven nodded. They knew exactly what the bandits would do. There were lots of women and children here, the men here were no match for them either. In fact even the Templars didn't look like they would be able to take them on. They might be able to take one or two, but it seemed that starvation and exhaustion may play a factor in a fight like that.

"How long do you think these people have left?" Alistair sighed.

"A month, couple of weeks... Maybe days." A female voice spoke up from the doorway. It was Leliana.

Both Riven and Alistair jumped in surprised.

"How long have you been there?" Riven chirped with a small blush of shame and embarrassment. She didn't know if it was a bad thing that this redhead had heard what they were talking about. She had honestly thought Leliana was still outside, but then thinking again Riven realized that Alistair and her had been talking for longer than she first thought.

"Long enough." Leliana's arms were crossed over her chest as she leaned against the door frame.

Alistair and Riven both went silent. They gave each other uneasy looks.

"You both are right." The redhead's voice was a low sigh. "We have lasted about three months with those bandits here, at first the Templars kept trying to chase them off... But soon after that..." Leliana looked down at her feet for a second before she looked back up at the two Wardens. "The tactics the Templars use are not ones that are well planned. They should have taken care of the group with a group... Instead they sent out single men at a time. And this was a lesson they didn't learn. With each man sent they were one man shorter." She explained.

"They killed them?" Riven asked with brows furrowed.

"Yes, as soon as a single templar came close they were dead within seconds. The bandits have been picking people off very slowly this entire time." Leliana looked frustrated. "They should have taken care of those bandits during the beginning of all this!" Leliana didn't realize that her voice was slowly rising. "Now we don't even have HALF as many guards as we used to! Those bandits can walk in here tomorrow and they would be able to kill us all within a matter of hours." She sighed as she lightly whacked the side of her head against the door frame. Her eyes slid shut and she shook her head. "In times like this... You would have thought that people would be trying to make smart choices... But in the case of this Village..." She shook her head once more before her eyes opened.

"The bandits..." Alistair began with a little cough. "They don't know we are here... Do they?" He asked.

Leliana shook her head. "No, and your secret is safe with us. This is a sanctuary. Once you are rested and healed the smart thing to do is to run and not look back." Leliana pushed herself away from the door and stepped over to the foot of the bed where she put her hands on the mattress. "This Village... I can't lie, it's doomed. The decisions it's made, the lack of strength, the vulnerability, even the supplies... There is no hope here. Time is almost up. No one wants to believe it but we all need to leave this place." Leliana's eyes burned into Riven's.

"But you can't... Can you?" Riven spoke, not once looking away from Leliana who shook her head.

"No." Leliana stood up straight. Her voice has emotionless. "There are far too many wounded, too many families, No one has the strength or to last on those roads... A family with a child..." Leliana went quite and her face paled.

The fate of the village was too horrible to speak anymore of.

Alistair suddenly stood up causing both women to look up at him. "We are going to do what we can when we are able to buy you some time." Alistair shrugged. "I mean... It would only be postponing the..." He didn't get to finish.

"No." Leliana's voice was hard and her eyes narrowed at the man who was standing in front of her. "You will do no such thing. As soon as you are able you will run. You, both of you are not safe here. As soon as word gets out that you are here... There is a bounty on your heads. They are calling Wardens traitors. As soon as people find out you are wanted and they would get gold for your heads... This village would tear you two apart."

Her words made both Alistair and Riven freeze. How did she know?

"That price on your heads... That could buy this village so much time." Leliana explained.

"They would kill us or give us to the bandits." Alistair was suddenly shaking.

"Yes." Leliana nodded. "You are safe with me but no one else can know about this." She said with a worried tone.

"Thank you..." Riven whispered. "But... How... How did you find out about us?"

"You soldier friends..." Leliana's voice suddenly went very low as she shut the door behind her when she realized that people were drawing closer. "They are not to be trusted, especially the tall one with bad teeth... It's all they are talking about. I am trying to keep their attention occupied but... I don't know how much longer I can hold it." She admitted with a small shrug. "As soon as they find out about that bounty... I don't know if I will be able to convince them to hold their tongues... They way they are speaking right now makes you two sound like..."

"Traitors?" Alistair sighed.

Leliana nodded.

"Well we're not!" Riven snapped.

"I know that, you two know that... But if those soldiers went around telling everyone that you are... Just who do you think they would believe?" Leliana's brow furrowed.

"And... Why do you believe us?" Riven's brow arched. "What reason have we given you to trust us?"

"Riven..." Alistair said in a low worried, warning tone.

But Riven kept her gaze hard as she stared at Leliana. She needed to know they could trust this woman. Leliana had the power to have them killed right then and there. If Riven and Alistair needed to run right then and there... She needed to find out... NOW.

"I don't know." Leliana shrugged. "I just... Have hope, that's all. I have heard the stories about Wardens and how they are supposed to protect people... I am hoping that you are like them and maybe with you two here... Maybe there is hope for this world after all."

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. XD Something I whipped up within minutes to be honest...**

**R&R**


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